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Cast Iron Care Tips and Some Skillet Suppers

Cast iron skillets have always fascinated me with their rustic look and superior searing ability. However, the first time I used a cast iron skillet, I ruined it. After doing some research and learning from some cooking experts, I can confidently say that I used my first cast iron pan all wrong. Before you make the same mistakes as me, read the tips below for some cast iron care tips and some delicious dinner recipes to create in your cast iron skillet.

A Bit About Cast Iron

Just in case you haven’t quite jumped on the Cast Iron craze yet, let me fill you in on why folks keep tossing out their old pans just to replace them with cast iron.

Strong, Sturdy, Resilient: If you know the proper care tips, cast iron will last longer than any of the pans your keeping around your kitchen. That’s why you’re constantly seeing them in antique shops, garage sales, and auctions. They last! In fact, the more you use them, the better they’ll be.

Cooking Versatility: Instead of having 10 or more pots and pans, some folks decide to switch to a few pieces of cast iron cookware. It can be used to cook anything and on anything. You can use it on the grill, in the oven, on the stovetop, or even over an open fire.

Naturally Non-stick: By properly seasoning cast iron, you are adding a layer non-stick coating to your cast iron cookware. If you avoid aggressive scrubbing and follow the seasoning tips in the next section, your cast iron will continue to be your favorite pan for a long time.

Perfect for the Grill: Like I said, you can use cast iron cookware on any cooking surface, but they are amazing for the grill. Anything you would normally put in the oven or on the stovetop, put it on a cast iron skillet and set it on the grill. You get the awesome grilled flavor and no extra hassle!

Seasoning Cast Iron

If you decided to buy a new cast iron pan, you need to be sure to season your cast iron pans. Even if the product says it’s been pre-seasoned, you’re going to want to follow the seasoning tips below to ensure you have properly coated cookware.

Wash and Dry: There’s no way of knowing what that pan has been through before you bought it, so you’re going to want to give it a once over with soap and warm water. Then, dry thoroughly. Even after you towel dry, there will still be left over water, so it’s best to put the pan on a stovetop on medium/low heat until you can no longer see water on the surface. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool before handling.

Grease: Now that your pan is all clean, it’s time to add that protective layer of oil. You don’t have to buy a special kind of oil just for seasoning. Use an unsaturated cooking fat, like vegetable, canola, or corn oil, for seasoning your pan. Take one tablespoon of the oil, thoroughly coat the entire surface – top, bottom, sides, and even the lip and handle. Spread the love with a Paper Towel.

Remove Excess (Buff): It is important to make sure you don’t have excess grease lingering on your pan. This could cause hardened droplets or make your cooking surface all sticky, which is exactly what you don’t want. Take another paper towel and wipe the pan again. You should still be left with a shiny coated pan.

Bake: Preheat your oven to 400ºF-500ºF. Put your cast iron pan upside down on the top rack. As a precaution, you can set a Cookie Sheet on the rack below to catch any oil that might drip off. Set your timer for 30 minutes – 1 hour (times vary depending on the person) and wait. The pan may smoke, so make sure your kitchen is well ventilated. When the timer goes off, let the pan sit and wait inside the oven with the door closed. Make sure to wear mitts when taking out the pan.

Repeat: You will want to repeat steps 2-4 a few more times. Many cast iron owners say to do this about 3 to 4 times. After this initial seasoning, you can grease your pan once before cooking. As long as you use your pan consistently you shouldn’t need to season much after this.

Skillet Suppers

Alright, now that you know how to keep your Cast Iron Skillet performing at the top of its game, it’s time to learn a few dinners to start cooking in it. The recipes below come from the magazine Cast Iron Classics, which is available at Rural King stores. If you enjoy these recipes, pick up a copy and look through all the appetizers, sides, dinners, and desserts you can make on cast iron.

Classic Fried Chicken – (Makes 8 Pieces)

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups whole buttermilk

2 Tablespoons hot sauce

2 Tablespoons kosher salt, divided

1 (3 1/2 lb.) Whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1 Cup quick-mixing flour

1 Cup all-purpose flour

2 Teaspoons ground black pepper

4 Cups vegetable oil

Directions

Stir buttermilk, hot sauce, and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt in a large bowl. Add chicken; cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

In a shallow dish, whisk together flours, pepper, and remaining salt. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. Place on a wire rack; let stand for 15 minutes.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat oil on your grill/smoker over medium heat until a Deep Fry Thermometer registers 365ºF. Place half of the chicken, skin side down, in the skillet. Cover and fry for 5-8 minutes; uncover, and turn chicken. Fry until a Meat Thermometer registers 165ºF, 6-10 minutes more. Let drain on Paper Towels. Repeat with remaining chicken.

6 thoughts on “Cast Iron Care Tips and Some Skillet Suppers”

Don,
I’m not a big pineapple fan, but I have tried Pecan Upside-Down Cake on a cast iron skillet and it was delicious. My mom would love the pineapple upside-down cake though. Might have to give that a try next. Thanks for the suggestion!

Robert,
Great question! As long as your cast iron skillet is properly seasoned, you don’t soak it or put it in the dishwasher, and dry it completely immediately after cleaning, you can use soap and water to clean the skillet. Your seasoning should have bonded to the pan well enough that soap shouldn’t affect it. The key is to make sure it is dried quickly after cleaning. Don’t just let it sit to dry. After mine is clean, I’ll wipe it dry with a towel and dry it on the stove over low heat.

Julie,
There is still hope for your granny’s cast iron pot! I’ve read a couple of ways to remove rust from cast iron that you should give a try. Use fine steel wool to scrub around the pot and remove all the rust, wash, dry immediately, coat in oil (even under any handles), and place that pot in the oven, upside down (350 degrees for 1 hour). That should clean the pot and season the pot again. I would repeat the seasoning process a couple of times to make sure you have a thick coating. If that doesn’t do the trick, there are other ways of removing rust. Check out this link for more ideas!